NL Pride says the wake of the “national tragedy” that was the shooting deaths in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., last week is a time for people to come together, not sow greater division and fear.

Eddy St. Coeur was responding to some of the targeted commentary and hate generated toward the trans community following last week’s mass shootings – one of the worst in Canadian history.

While the RCMP are still piecing together what happened and why, some social media accounts have tried to link the 18-year-old shooter’s actions to being trans.

St. Coeur says the entire country is feeling the pain of last week’s events. However, for the trans community, the vitriol being heaped on trans people is leaving many feeling even more fearful.

He says now is the time to check in on trans friends, family and co-workers and show them support, “and give them that assurance that in all of this, you are one of those safe places for that neighbour, for that colleague,” he told VOCM News.

I’m not a member of the trans community, but there are still people in my office building who, as soon as they saw me, asked how I was doing and checked in.  Although I’m not directly a member of that intersection of the queer community, it gave me that calm and that reassurance.